Is Miata owned by Ford?
Miatas are built in a plant in Hiroshima. It’s a Mazda plant. Ford owns a bit over 33% of Mazda, enough to be a controlling interest under Japanese law. My understanding is that Miatas are still designed, engineered, and built by Mazda workers, not Ford workers.
What kind of cars did flyin’miata use?
With the help of a few friends and Colorado’s Flyin’ Miata, an event sponsor, we assembled 17 privately owned cars, from V-8 swaps to bone-stockers. We borrowed two special cars from Flyin’ Miata itself.
How long has the Mazda Miata been in production?
Mazda’s seminal sports car has been in production since 1989. Every Miata since has orbited the same theme: low maintenance and buy-in, big fun, seemingly endless reliability. And like the Model T or a 1955 Chevrolet, the car has some ineffable quality that makes it ripe for screwing with.
Why are Miatas so good at road racing?
At least three laps each, to try and learn something. It was a dumb, ambitious plan, and on the surface, it also seemed childish and goofy. Not to put too fine a point on things, but that’s part of why it was great. Miatas foster goofy; they take the air out of serious moments. Everyone needs that.
What kind of engine does a Miata 2.5 have?
This is a common NC swap; the 2.5 makes similar horsepower but almost 20 more lb-ft at lower rpm. These engines were shipped in—among other things—the Ford Escape and Mazda 6, so they’re easy to find, and the swap is cheap. It also addresses a common Miata complaint: You have to rev the crap out of the car to get anywhere.
Is the Mazda MX-5 Miata a good car?
The MX-5 Miata is very fun to drive, but Mazda ’s affordable sports car isn’t precisely overwhelmed with power. As a result, engine swaps and aftermarket turbo kits are popular amongst the Mazda Miata fanbase. However, the automaker briefly did offer a version with a bit more juice: the Mazdaspeed Miata. But it’s a model Mazda hasn’t offered since.
Why was the Mazdaspeed Miata a one hit wonder?
Mazda only made about 5400 Mazdaspeed Miatas, DrivingLine reports, due to a production-facility fire. And due to that rarity, plus the factory upgrades, they’re a bit pricier than most NBs. For context, I paid less than $7000 for my 1999 10 th Anniversary Edition NB a few years ago.
Mazda’s seminal sports car has been in production since 1989. Every Miata since has orbited the same theme: low maintenance and buy-in, big fun, seemingly endless reliability. And like the Model T or a 1955 Chevrolet, the car has some ineffable quality that makes it ripe for screwing with.
With the help of a few friends and Colorado’s Flyin’ Miata, an event sponsor, we assembled 17 privately owned cars, from V-8 swaps to bone-stockers. We borrowed two special cars from Flyin’ Miata itself.